The transfer of material from one aseptic vessel to another poses a number of problems particularly concerning maintenance of the aseptic environment to prevent the contamination of the material being transferred, the vessels themselves and the surrounding environment in which operators of such transfer devices may be located to effect the transfer of material.
The maintenance of sterility is of fundamental concern in many manufacturing processes, to safeguard against contamination of products being manufactured in the process. Exemplary industries using aseptic production in a traditional manner or in isolation and/or containment facilities include pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnological and food industries.
Particular difficulty can arise where material for use in manufacture is required to be transferred from one sterile enclosure to another.
Developments in containment facilities led to the introduction of mating ports, otherwise known as rapid transfer (RTP) ports, to enable material to be transferred from one area to the other without contaminating the material or the surrounding environment.
However, these known ports are not without disadvantage. Commonly, the required location in the process enclosure is provided with a port which engages sealingly with a corresponding port of a transfer container. The mated ports can then be opened to enable material to be transferred from one area to another.
Such known transfer ports give rise to problems particularly when used in aseptic transfers. The presence of the seal or seals is an area of potential contamination which can be present on the exposed perimeter of the seals. Material to be transferred can easily come into contact with exposed sections of the seals compromising the sterility of the material and/or the process enclosure.